Questions and Answers

The prophet of Islam is called the perfect example of morality and modesty. Sometimes he would catch those who exposed themselves and he would rebuke them.

[All hadiths below are screenshots from Sunnah.com and all references are given if you wish to verify them.]

In this hadith, a man named Ma’mar had his thighs exposed and Muhammad told him to cover up.

Apparently, the thighs are awrah and must be covered up.

Muhammad often rebuked people who had knowingly or unknowingly exposed their thighs because they were exposing their private parts!

That is all well and good as far as modesty according to Muhammad was concerned.

However, was Muhammad himself modest? Did he expose his thighs, and thus his private part, while he was policing his ummah for their indiscretion?

The following authentic hadith from Sahih Muslim relates a narration by Aisha revealing Muhammad’s hypocrisy (and thighs).

What’s the story?

We find Muhammad lying in bed at Aisha’s house with his thigh exposed, uncovering his awrah and private part.

Aisha’s father, Abu Bakr, visits and Muhammad converses with him in that state, lying in bed and exposing himself, without any regard or respect for his father-in-law.

Then, there is another visitor – Umar. Muhammad doesn’t budge. He’s still in bed shamelessly exposing himself while conversing with Umar. Couldn’t care less about what his visitors had the displeasure of seeing.

Must have been a busy day. Uthman also drops by for a visit. And guess what? Suddenly Muhammad springs up from bed and adjusts his clothes, covers up his thighs and his private part and sits down respectfully to address Uthman!

Aisha must have been flabbergasted at what she witnessed because she later asks Muhammad about it. She says to him, ‘You did not even move and did not observe much care when Abu Bakr and Umar came but when Uthman came, you got up and covered up? What gives O husband of mine?’

Muhammad responds by saying that even the angels show modesty to Uthman. So he must do the same.
What does this even mean???
Was he bad-mouthing the angels?
Are angels immodest to others but not to Uthman?
Was what is haram with Uthman deemed halal with Abu Bakr and Umar?
Were Abu Bakr and Umar, future caliphs of Islam, not deserving of the same respect?

What’s the reason for Muhammad’s shocking act of hypocrisy? We can speculate that the reason is simple. Uthman was a wealthy and influential man. Abu Bakr and Umar, not so much. Muhammad sought to impress Uthman because of what he could benefit from him.

Whatever the reason for his despicable actions, one thing is clear. Muhammad was a disgusting hypocrite.

He went around as Islam’s moral policeman rebuking those who exposed their thighs and private part while he himself lay in bed exposing his thighs and private part to all and sundry. Except to Uthman, of course.